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American Morning

Skakel to be Sentenced Today

Aired August 29, 2002 - 07:30   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Kennedy cousin Michael Skakel has run out of options, now seeking leniency. A Connecticut judge denied a series of defense motions, including a request yesterday for a new trial. Today, the expectation is there for the sentence to be handed down for the murder of Martha Moxley back in 1975.
Deborah Feyerick back at her post in Norwalk, Connecticut this morning -- Deborah, hello.

DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Bill.

Well, Michael Skakel is likely to say a few words today before he's sentenced. Yesterday wasn't a total loss for the defense team. What they really did is sort of point out everything that they plan to appeal on. And so they're laying the record, setting the foundation.

What will happen today is there will be a sentencing. A couple of folks will speak. But, again, an appeal likely in the next few months.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

FEYERICK (voice-over): Michael Skakel headed back to a high security prison. He had changed out of the dark suit he wore in court and back into his khaki prison uniform. It was an emotional day for the 41-year-old Kennedy cousin as he listened to the mother of Martha Moxley, the girl he's convicted of beating to death with a golf club, tell the judge how much she missed her child and how she felt Skakel should get the maximum sentence.

DORTHY MOXLEY, MARTHA'S MOTHER: We were sentenced to a life without Martha and so I think, you know, it's just fitting that Michael is sentenced to a life without his little boy, also. He will, you know, he'll be able to be out of jail and get back into his son's life, where Martha will never come back.

FEYERICK: Skakel choked up as Dorthy Moxley and her one surviving child, John Moxley, spoke. But Skakel's tears were heaviest when his own friends described how much of an impact he had on their lives.

DAVID BANGSBERG, SKAKEL FRIEND: We're dealing with a very worthy person here, with a profound sense of humanity and compassion. And the Michael Skakel that I know is incapable of doing what allegedly he is being charged with.

FEYERICK: The judge received dozens of letters from Skakel's family and friends, all asking for leniency. One letter from cousin Robert Kennedy, Jr. describes how Skakel, a former alcoholic, helped Kennedy get sober two decades ago. The judge will consider the letters and statements in deciding Skakel's prison sentence.

Skakel was defeated earlier in the day when the judge denied his lawyers' motions to toss out the jury's guilty verdict and get a new trial, Judge John Kavanewsky saying he was not persuaded by defense arguments.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FEYERICK: Michael Skakel was still crying as he left the courtroom yesterday afternoon. Just as he reached the door, he turned to his family, all of them across the courtroom. They were straining their necks, all of them waving to show massive support for Michael Skakel -- Bill.

HEMMER: Deborah, there was an incident inside that courtroom yesterday that goes a little bit, I believe, toward the tension between these two families. What happened? What was said? What's your understanding?

FEYERICK: Yes, a couple of tense moments in the courtroom, Bill. First of all, when Mrs. Moxley began speaking to the judge, his, Michael's sister Julie got up and walked out. And then as they were adjourning and the two families were filtering out of the courtroom, John Moxley passed one of Michael's aunts, who is actually the sister of Ethel Kennedy. And the aunt made a comment, mumbled something under her breath and then called him a "son of a -- ."

So you can just see both sides really feel passionately. The Skakels don't think that Michael should serve any jail time because they say that he didn't do this. The Moxleys saying he did do this and he should take responsibility and serve the maximum.

HEMMER: What a case.

Thank you, Deborah. More today.

Deborah Feyerick in Norwalk.

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